This invention relates to a sighting device for use with an archery bow, more particularly, to an improved adjustable device for connecting any one of a plurality of archery sights to an archery bow.
There are a great variety of archery sighting devices available in the market for use with a conventional archery bow or conventional compound archery bow. The sighting devices generally relate to select aspects of sighting. For example, a sighting device may employ the use of pins that extend laterally of the bow which are adjusted to provide for a consistent degree of elevation and accommodation of wind velocity during sighting. The purpose of a sighting device is to provide consistent placement of the arrow during hunting or target shooting.
Various types of sighting devices are described in prior art patents. My U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,611 discloses a sighting device that incorporates a flexible pin assembly attached to and extending from the bow. My U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,269 discloses a sighting device having a slidable frame that holds sighting pins.
Other patents which provide adjustable sighting mechanisms of various configurations include U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,614 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,747 both to Kudlacek. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,543,728; 3,822,479; 3,579,839; and 3,310,387 all to Kowalski; U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,166 to Knemeyer; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,560 to Heck.
Generally, the aforestated patents disclose devices that employ some sort of connecting apparatus or arm to connect the sight mechanism to the bow so as to extend the sight forward of the bow. The mounting apparatus usually consists of a bracket means that attaches to the bow, and a bar that slidably engages the bracket. The bar has a plurality of discrete holes formed therein and a screw-type means, generally a screw with a knurled end, that extends through any one of the plurality of holes and engages a threaded hole in the bracket portion. The sight device mounts on the distal end of the bar. The arrangement allows the archer to vary the distance the sight extends in front of the bow. This typical prior art type of mounting assembly is clearly shown in the aforestated U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,174,269; 4,995,116; 4,757,614; 4,543,728; 4,535,747 and 4,020,560.
There are a number of notable drawbacks with the prior art adjustable mounting devices. For example, to adjust the mounting device so as to increase the relative distance of the sight from the bow, the archer must rotate the knurled screw all the way out to disengage it from the bracket and bar holes. The bar is then slid back and forth within the mounting bracket until the sight is at a desired distance from the bow. The archer must then align the holes in the bar and bracket, reinsert the screw, and tighten the screw to hold the assembly in place. This procedure is awkward and time consuming. Moreover, this procedure cannot be performed while holding the bow in an upright position while sighting in on a target. The archer must turn the bow on its side and carefully withdraw the screw so that the sight does not completely disengage from the bow and fall on the ground.
Furthermore, the archer must carefully align the holes while the mounting arm is extended to its desired position and then reinsert the screw. This can be tedious, especially when using a device that has no alignment means, such as a detent or indexing means to provide for positive alignment of the holes.